Never Let Go
by brynpetals
Summary: Imagine if Yggdrasil had failed to work on Anders...
1. Chapter 1

**Never Let Go**

Anders flew through the air, his body smashing into the pile of debris in Mike's bar. Olaf and Mike grabbed Axl, holding him back as Ty moved towards the lump that was now Anders. His brother was slow to get up, stumbling over the mound of debris. Mike approached him slowly. "Anders, you okay?"

"Ow," Anders said, grimacing. He had a hand pressed to the side of his neck. Mike's eyes widened as blood began to free flow from a large gash to the side of his throat.

"Holy shit!" Ty cried.

"Fuck, Axl," Anders said softly in disbelief, before collapsing to the ground. Olaf and Ty ran forward, while Mike screamed for Michele.

"Anders! Anders!" Ty gasped, as thick arterial blood pumped from his brother's body. Michele raced down from the stairs. As she approached, the tangy copper scent of blood wafted over her.

"Keep pressure on the wound!" she yelled, trying to get a closer look. Olaf ripped off his shirt, applying it firmly to Anders neck. It immediately began to turn red. "Oh shit!" she said, racing back up the stairs. Axl slowly stepped forward, watching as his brother struggled to breathe. A look of horror flooded his face as Anders's eyes found his. One single tear slipped from Anders blue eyes, before they closed.

"No," Axl whispered. He fled past the scene before, trying to get as far away from the bar as he could possibly get.

Michele grabbed _Yggdrasil_ from her closet. She hesitated, staring at the long staff. "Dammit," she whispered softly, before racing back down the stairs. She had kept this secret from Mike for far too long, but she couldn't let Anders die. Mike was yelling into his phone for an ambulance, as Ty and Olaf called Anders' name.

"Open your eyes, bro, please," Ty begged. Olaf grabbed his grandson's hand, feeling for a pulse. It was there, but weak. "Anders! No, no, no, no!" Ty pleaded. Michele stepped forward, holding_ Yggdrasil_. Handing it to Ty, she knelt down beside the still body, gently removing the shirt from the wound. She placed her hand along his neck, whimpering with nausea.

"Ooh, I really hate blood," she grimaced. Mike watched in amazement as her hand began to glow. She slowly removed her hand from Anders neck. The wound appeared to be healing. Mike stared at her in shock. "He should be fine," she muttered.

"Go Yggdrasil," Olaf smiled. They watched silently, waiting for Anders to open his eyes. But something was wrong. Anders did not open his eyes. Slowly, the wound began to reopen. Blood began to flow from the wound again. Ty quickly grabbed the shirt, pressing it back to Anders' neck once more. Michele was confused.

"I don't understand, it should have healed him!" Michelle whispered, a look of fear in her eyes. She turned to Mike, panic in her voice. "We need that ambulance…NOW!"

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><p>Ty, Olaf and Michele sat in the hospital waiting room, covered in the blood of Anders. Mike had gone after Axl, as the god of the hunt, he was the only one who could possibly hope to find him. Ty sat with his head in his hands, struggling with his emotions. No matter what Anders had done, he was his brother. The thought of not having Anders in his life was heartbreaking. Olaf sat in deep thought, his oracle mind searching for some understanding as to why the branch from Yggdrasil had failed. It had worked to rid Ty of the God Hod, and for that Ty had actually had to die. Why hadn't it healed Anders?<p>

Michele was asking herself that same question. As much as she hated to admit it, she was fond of Anders. He never failed to trade insults with her, at one time he had been a worthy adversary, but more than that, he was Mike's brother. Mike, who pretended that he despised Anders, when deep down he loved him as only an older brother could love a younger one. She leaned her head back against the white wall of the hospital. Anders had to survive…she didn't think any of the other brothers would be able to without him.

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><p>Mike slowly entered the train yard, searching for the right car. He stepped up onto the bed of the train-car, spotting Axl sitting with his arms wrapped around his knees. He looked so young, sitting in his blue tuxedo, and Mike's heart squeezed with pain. They both knew there would be no wedding to Gaia, not after what happened between her and Anders, so to see him in the wedding clothes was almost too much for Mike to bear. He stood before his baby brother, not knowing the right words to say.<p>

"Anders?" Axl asked quietly. Mike sighed.

"He…he was in surgery when I left to find you," Mike said softly. Axl closed his eyes in pain. "They don't know if…there was a lot of blood loss, and…" Mike trailed off, studying his brother. "You need to come with me." Axl shook his head.

"I nearly ki…" Axl broke off. "What if I try to do it again? What if I try to finish him off? I mean, I can't control that stuff, when the _Odin_ thing takes over, Mike." Mike frowned, sitting down beside Axl.

"Don't you think that sounds a lot like a couple of other people right now?" he asked. "Anders and Gaia couldn't control what happened between them. It was _Bragi_ and _Idunn_, not Anders and Gaia that slept together." Axl bowed his head.

"What am I supposed to do?" Axl groaned. "I love her."

"Do you love him?" Axl turned to his brother in surprise.

"Yeah," he said slowly. "I do. I hate him...and I love him. So what am I supposed to do?"

"Right now…we are supposed to be brothers. We need to be there for Anders. Afterwards…we'll figure something out. Together." Axl looked at his older brother, and silently nodded.

"Let's go," he said quietly.

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><p>Hours passed as the brothers sat in the hospital, with no news about Anders. Mike sat with his hand on Axl's shoulders, as the younger boy sat in stony silence. Finally, a surgeon approached them. With a nod of recognition to Michele, who worked at the hospital, he sat down beside the family. "Anders is out of surgery."<p>

"He's alive?" Axl whispered hopefully. The surgeon looked at him, a controlled expression in his eyes.

"For the moment. He is in critical condition. He lost more than half of his blood supply, and we found some fractured ribs, one of which pierced his lung." Mike sighed. He should have known better than to keep that debris in the bar. He and Michele had been renovating their living area above the bar, and he knew how dangerous that type of debris could be. It had be meant to be picked up for disposal that afternoon, but he had delayed it when the incident with Gaia had occurred. He tried to focus on the surgeon. "The next 24-48 hours will be critical. If he manages to make it through that, then there is a greater chance that he will survive." Ty sat quietly, tears in his eyes.

"Can we see him?" Olaf asked. The surgeon nodded.

"As soon as he is settled in a room, I will send the nurse out for you." Mike thanked him, and turned to his family as the surgeon headed back into the recovery room.

"I'll call Dawn," Ty said quietly. "She will want to come, so I'll probably go get her." He rose wearily, hugged his brothers, and left the room. Olaf stared at his family, grief so evident on their faces.

"I'll take Axl home," Olaf said. Axl shook his head.

"I-I can't go home," he murmured. "I can't face her." They knew he was referring to Gaia.

"I need to speak to Ingrid, so why don't we head to Ty's? You can reach us there. We'll take shifts. I don't want Anders to be left alone," Olaf replied. The others silently nodded their agreement, and Mike hugged Axl close.

"I don't want him to die, Mike," Axl said tearfully into his brother's shoulder.

"Neither do I, Axl. Neither do I." Mike gave his brother a final squeeze before releasing him. He watched as Olaf and Axl left, before turning to Michele.

"You used_ Yggdrasil_ to bring Ty back to life, when he got rid of Hod, didn't you?" he asked. She nodded silently.

"I don't understand why it didn't work on Anders," she said in frustration.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he said softly.

"It's a chick thing?" she said. He raised an eyebrow. "It was something that made me feel special. I'm only a 'minor' goddess. The power to heal like that…made me feel important. I was worried you gods would try to take it away." She bowed her head in shame. Mike felt a wave of affection for her. He slowly wrapped his arms around her waist, and tilted her chin up.

"You are important," he smiled. "Very important to me." He kissed her deeply.

"So, you aren't going to take my stick away?" she grinned cheekily.

"Your stick, not mine. Just use it for good, not the dark side, ok?" he said, looking into her chocolate eyes.

"Always been my plan," she agreed. He kissed her again, as a nurse came towards them. Mike braced himself, then proceeded to follow the nurse.

Anders lay motionless against the crisp white linens on the hospital bed. A single sheet covered the lower half of his body. His chest was bare, showing a tube inserted into his side, draining blood from his punctured lung. He had thick bandages to the wound on his neck, and various bruises were now beginning to show on his torso. He was extremely pale, and Mike hesitated before gently picking up his hand. He looked so fragile, like he would break if someone touched him the wrong way. He tenderly reached out, brushing a lock of Anders blond hair off of his forehead. He hadn't touched Anders so gently since he had been a child. Michelle watched silently as Mike's face crumpled in grief, before she placed an arm around him. "Hey bro," he said softly. "You need to wake up now, Anders. You've given us all a real scare, but we need you to wake up." Mike searched the face of his brother, but there was no change. Mike sighed. "I get it now, you know? I understand that nothing else matters, all the bullshit we've gone through, none of it matters, because we're family. You're my brother, and I can't live without my brothers. So you have to wake up now…please." His final word was choked out, before he broke down sobbing. Michele held him in her arms, murmuring to him gently, until he finally quieted. Thanking her with his eyes, he stepped from the room. She turned to Anders, who still gave no sign that he had heard his brother at all. She tentatively reached her hand towards his chest, and as her fingers brushed him, she felt a burst of power surge through her. In her mind's eye, she was thrust into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Anders hurt. It hurt to breathe and it hurt to think and he just plain hurt. Even his fingernails hurt. It was dark here. If only he knew where here was. He struggled to remember. He had been in the bar…with his brothers. He had been trying to apologize to Axl for what had happened with Gaia…but his mouth got in the way of his apology, as usual. His Bragi powers had gotten him into trouble more often than not. And then Axl…Axl had grabbed him, thrown him…he gasped as the memories came rushing back. The warm sticky blood oozing from his throat, the inability to catch his breath, the dark look in Axl's eyes. Ah, now he understood. He must be dead then. Strange, he had thought that there wouldn't be any pain once you were dead. Where was he anyway? It was so dark, like a black cloak had been draped around him. He tried to take a step forward, sliding his foot so as not to trip. Shuffling his way along, one arm out in front of him, the blackness seemed to go on forever. He was startled when a large figure stepped forward, seemingly illuminated, piercing the black veil that surrounded them. He was tall, with a gray beard and gray hair, but his face seemed both old and young. His eyes…Anders started as he recognized those eyes. He had seen them staring back at him every day of his life. He suddenly realized who the man in front of him was. "Bragi," he murmured.<p>

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><p><strong>Okay...what do you think? I had this crazy idea where <em>Yggdrasil <em>didn't work on Anders, and this story is the result. Let me know what you think! Next chapter coming soon! I own nothing!**


	2. Chapter 2

Never Let Go Chap 2

Mike re-entered Anders' hospital room to find Michele gasping in terror, her hand lying gently on Anders chest. He hurried towards her, yanking her back from his brother, who lay as still as before. Her hand had left a red mark on Anders chest, and he turned to her angrily. "What are you doing?" he asked. She sat down with tears in her eyes, cradling her hand with her body.

"I know why _Yggdrasil_ didn't save him," she gasped. "It was Bragi." Mike looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he said warily.

"Bragi stopped _Yggdrasil_ from healing him. I…" she rose to her feet. "I need Ingrid…and Olaf now!" She headed to the door, and Mike grabbed her arms.

"Michele, talk to me. What is going on?"

"I…I think Bragi is going to kill Anders," she said softly. She told him what had happened when she had placed her hands on Anders' chest. Mike stared at her in horror, then turned back to his little brother.

"If Anders dies, then Bragi will die. It doesn't make any sense," he said doubtingly.

"Please, Mikael, please believe me. All I felt was darkness and anger…Bragi is up to something. I have to get Olaf and Ingrid." She searched his eyes, tears welling up.

"I'll come with you," he said and she shook her head.

"We can't leave him alone," she replied, looking worriedly at Anders.

"Then let me go, god of the Hunt, remember? I will bring them back here within the hour." She stared into his blue eyes, before hugging him close. He kissed her tenderly. "I'll be back." As he quickly left the room, Michele approached the bed again. Warily, she placed her hand back on Ander's chest.

"Bragi…" she murmured, as the darkness rushed forward. "What are you doing?"

* * *

><p>Anders stared at the figure before him, surrounded by blackness. He found it fascinating that Bragi had his eyes, but figured there must be some connection given his family genealogy. He suddenly felt a wave of pain wash over him and he grimaced. He caught the smile that spread over Bragi's face. "Are you always such a prick?" he asked the god. Bragi chuckled, before backhanding Anders across the face. Anders flew through the air, landing in darkness. Wincing with pain, he sat up slowly, watching the halo of light that surrounded the god approach him. He rose to his feet, holding his ground. Bragi approached him, a smug look on his face as he studied Anders.<p>

"I thought you would serve me well, young one," Bragi said. His voice was like syrup, sweet and thick. Anders understood how he must have sounded to all those people he had used his god power on. "But I sense there may have been a mistake in letting you play host to my soul." Anders looked at him in confusion.

"I didn't realize you had a choice," Anders replied.

"We normally do not. However, I felt that it was the right moment to restore my soul to humanity. After all, it is not every day that one gets to become a member of the 'Almighty Johnsons'." Bragi sneered in reply. "But you…you were a mistake. You misused my powers." Anders look at him in contempt.

"I never talked anyone into doing stuff that they didn't actually want to do, deep down," Anders said defensively.

"EXACTLY!" Bragi roared. "You were given this gift, my gift! You allowed petty human morals and ideals to determine when, where or on whom you would use my gift!" He grabbed Anders by the back of the neck, yanking him close. "My words should have been used to elevate you to the highest office in the puny mortal world, and you chose to squander it!" He punched Anders in the gut and blood flew from his mouth. "You regret making love to my beautiful Idun, because it hurt the puny mortal feelings of the reincarnation of Odin? That simpering god who has the audacity to call himself Allfather?" He threw Anders into the darkness, where he hit what felt like a brick wall. Anders moaned in agony, his brain racing.

"Why didn't you let me die then?" Anders gasped into the black air, struggling to his hands and knees.

"Because you needed to be taught a lesson," Bragi growled in his ear, kicking him hard in the ribs. His breath left him, his lungs struggling to inflate. "And I would not have my life saved by that minor goddess!_ Sjofn_? Bah!" He glared at the mortal before him. "No, young Anders…you need to suffer as I have suffered. And once I am finished…maybe I will find it wise to finally let you die." Anders finally gave in, and blood spurted from his mouth as he succumbed to unconsciousness. "Then again," Bragi smiled, turning over his shoulder, his eyes fixing on Michele's in the dark. "Maybe I should keep him around. This is fun…isn't it...Sjofn?"

Michele wrenched her hand away in shock, as Anders choked and coughed on his own blood. She pressed the emergency call button, screaming for assistance. Doctors and nurses came flying into the room, pulling her away from Anders' heaving body. "We need to get to him to the OR stat!" a doctor cried. Michele leaped forward to the bedside, leaning down to whisper in Anders ear.

"Anders, hold on! Don't you die on us, baby! And Bragi, if you can hear me, you better run, you son of a bitch! Because the Johnson's are coming after you!" A nurse finally yanked her back and Anders was rushed from the room. Michele sank to the floor, tears sweeping down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around her legs, slowly rocking herself back and forth. "Mike," she whispered. "Please hurry."

* * *

><p>Mike headed to Ty's home, where he found Ingrid, Axl, and Olaf sitting quietly, large tumblers of whisky in each of their hands. He glanced around briefly. "Where is Ty?" Olaf sighed.<p>

"Dawn was extremely upset…" he said. Briefly he recounted what had happened to Mike:

"Dawn?" She looked up from her desk in Anders office, wondering again why she bothered with him. He was always showing up late, blowing off clients, or even worse, sleeping with them. But he always came through in the end, somehow. No, as much as he could frustrate her, Anders was a good boss. Most of the time, anyway. She smiled as Ty, Anders younger brother walked into the office.

"Ty, if you're looking for Anders, he disappeared this morning and I haven't seen him…" she trailed off as she got a good look at Ty's face. There were tear marks down his cheeks, and his clothing was stained with blood. "Ty? Oh my god, are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?" she cried, coming around from her desk. She grabbed his hand, leading him towards the sofas in Anders side of the office. Ty sat wearily down.

"It's…not my blood," he said softly. "Anders…there's been an accident." Dawn felt as if the world tilted suddenly. She barely acknowledged Ty as he explained what had happened this morning. Anders. Hospital. She rose suddenly, heading to Anders desk. Reaching into the bottom drawer, she grabbed the Fenrir vodka bottle he always kept hidden and a glass. Pouring herself a large drink, she gulped it down, wincing as it burned her throat. Ty watched her, a shocked expression on his face as she poured and downed another. She placed her hands on Anders' desk, trying to stop the shaking. No matter what Anders had done, he had always been kind to her, her very best friend. Something she had never told him. She turned to Ty, her eyes filled with tears.

"Axl did this to him?" she said quietly. Ty nodded.

"He didn't mean for it to happen…Mike had a pile of debris from his renovations, and when Axl threw Anders, he sliced his neck…"He trailed off as she winced at his words.

"Why did he throw him?" she asked.

"It's…a family matter," Ty said delicately. "Anders…did something he shouldn't have…but he didn't have control over the matter. Axl…" she stopped him with a wave of her hand.

"I need to see him," she murmured. Ty nodded.

"I just need to stop at my place to change. Is that alright?" he asked. She nodded silently and he led her to the door. As she turned off the lights, she stopped, her eyes searching the office. She suddenly wondered if she would ever come back here again. She knew she couldn't if Anders wouldn't be behind the desk. She took a deep hitching breath, then followed Ty down the hall, closing the door softly behind her.

As they approached Ty's home, Dawn stared out the window in silence. She couldn't give voice to her thoughts. Ty glanced at her worriedly, his own feelings for her written all over his face. How he ached to hold her and comfort her. But part of losing his powers as Hod, god of everything dark and cold, had meant that Dawn had forgotten all about their love and their relationship. He sighed, his focus needed to be on Anders, not on his own problems. As they reached his home, Dawn stepped quietly from the car. Ty led her into the house, where Olaf, Axl and Ingrid sat together, Axl still wearing the powder blue tuxedo he had been trying on when he had discovered the truth about Anders and Gaia. He rose, as Dawn slowly approached him. "Dawn," he said, "I don't…" he didn't get a chance to finish as she punched him in the face.

"Holy shit!" Ty yelled, grabbing at Dawn who had begun to scream and flail at Axl.

"He's your BROTHER!" she screeched at Axl, who stared at her in horror. "No matter what he did, he's your brother! Your flesh and blood! How could you do this?" Olaf stood between Dawn and Axl, murmuring soothing words to her, but to no avail. "Any time you needed him, even when you didn't want him, Anders was there for you! You always treated him like he meant nothing! You don't deserve him...none…of…you…do!" she finally broke down sobbing into Ty's arms. He picked her up, carrying her into his bedroom. Ingrid followed him, as Olaf turned to his grandson.

"I'll get some ice for that eye," he said. "You're going to have a shiner." Axl stood frozen, Dawn's words echoing in his mind. All of them true. The Johnson brothers usually had nothing but contempt for Anders, who did and said as he pleased, be damned the consequences. But Axl realized that Anders was always there when he needed him. He always tried to fix things, in his own way, because he would not let anything harm his brothers. Out of all of them, Anders was the only one who truly understood the meaning of family…

Mike stood in shock as Olaf finished his tale. "So where is she now?" Olaf smiled grimly.

"I spiked her drink with a little something to help her sleep," he said. "Ty is in the shower, he said…he said he had to wash the blood off." Olaf drowned his whisky. "How is Anders?" Axl sat quietly, staring at his glass.

"Well, that's why I have come for you and Ingrid. Something strange is going on." Briefly, he explained what Michele had told him. "Have either of you ever heard anything like this?" Olaf and Ingrid stared at each other.

"You don't suppose…" Ingrid murmured. Olaf nodded.

"It's possible…" Olaf replied. Mike stared at them in confusion.

"Would either of you like to tell me what the fuck is going on?" he finally yelled.

"If Bragi is trying to kill Anders, then it might mean that he has pulled him into Valhalla," Olaf explained.

"So, how do we get him out of Valhalla?" Mike replied. Olaf glanced at Ingrid, before rising to stand before his grandson.

"We don't," Olaf said, placing his hands on Mike's shoulders. "Only Bragi can decide whether Anders lives or dies…but he will continue to torture him for as long as he pleases." Mike sank down into the chair behind him, shock and fear overwhelming him. There was silence as they each absorbed Olaf's words.

"Fuck that!" Axl shouted, rising to his feet. "I'm Odin, and I will not allow Bragi to torture my brother!" Mike rose, nodding his head.

"I'm Ullr, and I will help you, Odin," he said grimly. "No one treats my brother like this." They all turned as Ty entered the room.

"I'm Hod," he said. "Or at least I was. And I will stand with you, Allfather." Axl looked at Olaf and Ingrid.

"Gather the goddesses and meet us at the hospital," Axl said to Ingrid. "Olaf, when Dawn wakes up, bring her with you to the hospital. I think Anders will need all the help he can get." He then turned to his brothers. "It's time Bragi found out what happens to those who fuck with the Almighty Johnsons!"

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><p><em><strong>Read and Review! Let me know what you think!<strong>_


	3. Chapter 3

Never Let Go Chapter 3

Michele waited for the Johnsons at the entrance to the hospital. She had her arms wrapped tightly around her, as if holding herself together and Mike immediately ran to envelope her in his arms. He felt her tremble in his arms, and he held her tightly. "Anders?" he whispered, dreading her answer. She sighed as the rest of the Johnson's and the goddesses came up them. She quietly explained everything that had happened, and that Anders had been taken back into surgery. She led them back into the hospital waiting room, and sank down onto a padded bench, Mike close beside her. Ingrid and Olaf sat nearby, while Axl paced the room, like a caged tiger. "Well, any bright ideas, O Great Oracles?" Mike said sarcastically to Olaf and Ingrid.

"That's enough Mike," Ty said sharply. "None of this is their fault." Ty felt almost like an outsider, his God powers no longer with him. His mind kept straying back to Dawn. He had left her in his bed, a note telling her to come to the hospital when she was ready. In truth, he had been unprepared for her reaction. It had surprised them all at how fiercely she had defended Anders, and he felt ashamed at how they had treated him. He shook his head, as Ingrid spoke up.

"Michele, you said that when you touched Anders, Bragi was aware of you?" she asked. Michele nodded.

"It was like…he wanted an audience. He wanted me to know that he was enjoying himself and there was nothing I could do about it." She shivered and Mike pulled her closer. Olaf looked at Ingrid and they seemed to come to the same conclusion.

"If Michele was able to connect to Bragi when she touched Anders, then we should be able to do the same if we touch her," Olaf stated. Mike slapped Olaf upside the head, and Axl smothered a grin.

"What he means," Ingrid interrupted, "is that if we all join hands, and Michele touches Anders, we should be able to see what she sees. It may even be enough for us to communicate with Bragi, or even connect to Valhalla," she added.

"But aren't we just giving him what he wants?" Stacey spoke up. "Michele said that Bragi seemed to want an audience, won't he just punish Anders even more?"

"And if he does," Ty added, "how are we going to explain his injuries?" There was silence at this thought. As if in answer to their question, the same surgeon approached the family, a grim expression on his face. Mike rose to meet him.

"Mr. Johnson, your brother has…once again been stabilized. It appears we may have missed some of his internal injuries during the previous surgery. We found two more fractured ribs and a laceration to his spleen, which we removed. Although…these new injuries seemed to have…developed after he was out of surgery and back in his room. Very unusual." The surgeon studied the family closely, then sighed when there was no change in their expressions. "He is back in his room. For now, we will be keeping him under EXTREMELY close observation. You may see him for brief periods only." The underlying warning was evident. The surgeons could not explain how Anders had been further injured, and were willing to believe it was something they had merely missed the first time. However, they were suspicious and any further injuries to Anders would result in accusations, and the authorities would become involved. Mike thanked the surgeon graciously, then turned back to his family, letting out a long sigh.

"Man, now is a time when we could really use Anders' Bragi powers," he muttered ironically.

"Yeah," agreed Axl, "All we need is for them to start accusing us…"

"Ty?" a small voice said. They all turned to see Dawn's tear-stained face. Ty approached calmly, wrapping her in a hug. Axl backed away from her warily, moving behind Olaf.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly. She shook her head, but held back her tears.

"Can I see Anders?" she asked. Ty glanced at his brothers, then nodded. He led her down the hallway to the closed door of Anders room. She gently squeezed Ty's hand, then slowly opened the door.

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><p>Anders drifted in a fog of anesthetic, morphine and pain. His mind felt thick, like his brain was wrapped in sheets of cotton. He struggled to open his eyes, but was scared of what he would see if he did. His mouth felt dry and he thought he would give anything for a sip of water. Suddenly, a voice pierced the layers of fog. "Anders?" the voice called. He pushed towards the voice. It was so familiar, the voice of someone he depended on, someone who had never let him down. He moaned softly and the voice called out again. "Anders, can you hear me? Wake up, Anders!" the voice urged. He forced himself towards that sound, focusing his energy. Slowly, ever so slowly, he opened his eyes. A small gasp came to his right, and he flicked his eyes in that direction. As the shape came into focus, he realized it all made sense. It was his light, his Dawn. His one true friend. Tears dripped from her eyes as she smiled at him, gently stroking his hair. His blue eyes locked with her own, and he felt safe for the first time since he had slept with Gaia.<p>

"D-Dawn," he murmured softly, his dry throat cracking. She grabbed the cup of water at his bedside, and placed the straw between his lips. He sipped, the cool deliciousness easing down his throat.

"Anders, everything's ok," she murmured. "You are going to get better, and then I am going to kill you for scaring me like this." He smiled weakly, and she chuckled lightly. All of a sudden, Anders felt a searing pain yank his mind backwards, and he screamed in agony.

"No you don't, boy!" Bragi's voice echoed in his ear, as he fought against unconsciousness, fought to stay with Dawn. Dawn cried out in terror, seeing him struggle, but not knowing what he was fighting against. Ty rushed into the room, the others not far behind. As Ty pulled Dawn away from the bed, Anders reached his hand out weakly towards his brothers, his eyes rolling back in his head. Axl grabbed his hand a second too late, and it hung limply in his own.

"Keep fighting Anders!" Axl cried. "We're coming for you! We'll never let go!" Ty forced Dawn out of the room, as Michele stepped forward. She placed her hand on Anders chest, and was plunged into the darkness.

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><p>Bragi dragged the young man behind him, furious that the mortal had been pulled away from Valhalla once the human healers had finished with him. He had been resting quietly while the human's body had been attended to by those mortal healers. The bloody drugs they needed to repair the human made him sneeze, and feel light headed. He couldn't wait to get back to Valhalla and continue teaching the boy his lesson. He tightened his grip around Anders, lugging him through the dark veil. Valhalla gleamed in the distance. As he entered the gates, he heard a voice call out to him. "BRAGI!" He stopped, turning slowly.<p>

"Sjofn," he sneered. "Is there a reason you dare to address me, MINOR goddess?" Michele was surprised to see that she was outfitted in fine robes, her raven black hair flowing down her back.

"You have no claim over that human," she said. "Release him!" Bragi howled with laughter.

"You think that I will listen to you, Sjofn? You are nothing, a puny goddess who has no power to order the great Bragi to do anything! Now, be gone, I have some business to attend to with this boy!" He threw Anders into the chamber before him. Anders moaned softly, lying motionless where he had been thrown. As Bragi made to close the chamber doors, a loud war cry stopped him. He turned, staring in astonishment at the sight before him. Sjofn stood surrounded by the gods and goddesses of the Johnson family. The two Oracles, Olaf and Ingrid, were represented as Baldr and Snotra along with the puny handmaiden Fulla, known in the human world as Stacey. They stood alongside the supposed reincarnation of Odin. The god Ullr, Mikael, stood beside his mate Michele, and Bragi glanced warily back at Anders. He knew it was impossible to beat the god of the hunt and games. His surprise was magnified at the site of Hodr, for he had thought that the human Ty had rid himself of his god powers.

"That's right, Bragi, you bastard," Odin spoke up, "You have fucked with the wrong family! Release my brother!" Odin raised his fingertips and lightning shot from them, striking Bragi in the chest. He grunted in pain, before shooting his own bolts of lightning back, knocking the supposed "Allfather" to the ground. He chuckled at the surprise on the gods faces.

"Ah, the Almighty Johnsons," he sneered. "You forget that you are not truly the Allfather yet, boy!" Axl rose to his feet, stunned from the blast. "Haven't found your Frigg yet, have you?" He laughed, turning his back on the group.

"You dare to bring Anders to Valhalla, dare to interfere with the healing of Yggdrasil, with the true path of…" Baldr called to him.

"I dare! I am Bragi! This pitiful excuse for a human did not deserve to be the vessel of my greatness!" He thrust his fingers towards Anders, whose screams pierced the air as fire surged through him, scalding his skin. Ty raced forward, a blast of ice flying from his fingertips, halting the onslaught of fire, extinguishing the fire. Bragi seemed amused. "Hodr, God of all things cold and dark…how nice to see that you have returned." Ty himself seemed surprised at his resurgence of power.

"What is it you want, Bragi?" Ullr stepped forward.

"I want this puny mortal to suffer…and suffer…and suffer some more. I want him to understand his foolish guilt has a price. Then, when I have been thoroughly satisfied that he has been broken…I may let him die." Bragi grinned wickedly at the gods before him. "And there is nothing you can do to stop me!"

"I'll take that bet," Ullr asked quietly. Bragi frowned, hesitating.

"I was not making a wager, I was merely-"

"Too late, asshole. I have accepted your challenge," Ullr said with a smirk. Bragi grabbed Anders, yanking him to his feet.

"Do not test me, Ullr. I am more powerful than you can possibly imagine. You should give up this foolish attempt!" he threatened, invoking his Bragi power into his voice.

"You forget Bragi," Snotra spoke up, "The power of your words only affects mortals, not Gods." He glared at her.

"The wager is this: If we are able to stop you…you will return Anders to us," Baldr stated.

"And when you are unable…I shall return his rotting corpse to your world." Bragi grinned. "And I will be reborn into a vessel worthy of my words." He turned his back to them, intent on entering Valhalla. "One more thing…you have 24 hours." Axl growled in fury, but Baldr steadied him.

"Until we meet again, no further harm must come to Anders," Sjofn added. Bragi glared at her angrily, but then shrugged his shoulders.

"Fine. The mortal will be spared his punishment for 24 hours. Upon your return to this realm, we shall begin the challenge." He tossed the limp body of Anders towards them, and stalked into the halls of Valhalla.

* * *

><p>Michele jerked her hand off Anders chest, and the others gasped as their connection was broken. Anders body now sported scorch marks and burns. Michele winced as Anders whimpered softly, his unconscious mind aware of the pain in his body. Mike wrapped Michele in his arms, staring at the small body that lay behind her. His little brother, the one who always fought him, tested him, questioned him. What he wouldn't give to see a little of that spirit right now. "Well," said Ingrid brightly, "that went better than I expected." 10 pairs of eyes stared at her incredulously, but Olaf chuckled.<p>

"Don't you see? By entering into this game, Bragi has lost. Not matter what, he cannot defeat Ullr."

"And he gave us the way to defeat him," Ingrid added. The others looked at the Oracles blankly, and they both sighed.

"Idunn," they said together. Axl froze in silence.

"You see, he said that Anders guilt had a price. What would Anders feel guilty about? What started this whole mess? Sleeping with Idunn," Ingrid concluded.

"In order to save Anders, we need Bragi's weakness. We need Idunn," Olaf said, shooting a look at Axl. "We need Gaia."


End file.
